Automatic fire shutter



March 24, 1925. 1,530,652

M. L. CORNELL AUTOMATIC FIRE SHUTTER Filed April 5, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet1 Z6 MIKE/W08 HIS/4 TTOR/VEY March 24, 1925.

M. CORNELL AUTOMATIC FIRE SHUTTER 2 R. Y h E 0 m x w. s H 3 M .QN @N w wR m B H W" MN v M. ml t 7 r r2 R d m n March 24, 1925.

1,530,652 M. L. CORNELL AUTOMATIC FIRE. smm'n Filed April 5, 1922 3Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR HIS 7A TTORNEV Mitten a. CORNELL, or new "roan,n. v.

AUTOMATIC? FIRE SHUTTER.

Application filed April 5, 1922. Serial No. 5 .9,707.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON I1. CORNELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at No. 60 1 West 26th Street, New York, county and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticFire Shutters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to that class of fire resisting shutters orcurtains which are normally held in raised or open position but whichare designed to be automatically released and closed upon apredetermined rise in temperature, as in case of fire.

Owing to the infrequent use of shutters of this class, dirt and otherforeign matter collecting in and about the parts sometimes actto preventstarting movement of the shutter when released. Because of this, andother possible conditions tending to interfere with the free closingmovement of the shutter, it has been the object of my invention toprovide animproved means for positively starting the shutter whenautomatically released.

()ther objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a wall having an opening to which myimproved shutter has been applied.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken'on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,showing the shutter and its operating mechanism.

Fig. 4: is a section taken on the line 4 -4: of Fig. 3, showing theautomatic starter for the shutter. L

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the automatic release for the starter asviewed fromthe right hand end of Fig. 3 with the housing removed.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation'of'the release shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a front view, partly sectioned vertically, of a modification'of the-operatin mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the modification shown in Fig. 7, looking fromthe left-hand end thereof.

Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7, and

to slacken.

Fig- 10 is a section taken on the line 10 -10 of 'Fig. 7. Referring tothe drawings, and more par ticularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, there isshown a shutter or curtain 10 which is adapted to close an opening 12 ina wall 13,

said shutter operating in side guides or channel bars 14: and, when inraised position, being substantially enclosed in a hood 15. In itsraised position, the shutter is in the form of a roll wound upon abarrel 17, to which it is connected by spacing'collars or bushings 18fixed to the barrel by screws 19, one end of the shutter being attachedto said bushings. The barrel 17 is in turn mounted upon a shaft 20 whichextends therethrough and is journaled adjacent its opposite ends intheusual end brackets 26 fastened to the building wall or other support.The connections between said barrel and shaft comprise bushings 21 and22 surrounding the shaft and secured by fastening devices 26 to theinterior ofthe barrel and to the shaft, respectively, and a helicalspring 23 fixed at one end to the bushing 21 and at its other end to,the bushing 22. The spring 23 may be wound up or placed under tension bya turning of the shaft 20 till) so as to normally counterbalance anytendency of the raised shutter to descend, and its tension is preservedby locking the shaft against rotation by means of an automatic releasemechanism.

Referring to Fig. 5, there is shown one form of automatic releasemechanism comprising a toothed wheel 30 fixed to the end of the shaft 20outside of one of the end brackets 26, and cooperating with said teethis a detent 32 on a pivoted lever 33, said detent being here shown inthe form of an anti-friction roll. The lever 33 is normally held so thatthe detent 32 engages with the teeth of the wheel 30 to hold the shaft20 against rotation, by means of a bell-crank detent 32 efiective,while'the other arm 37 is normally held in raised position by aconnecting chain ,38 extending through. the

housing of the bracket 26 and held taut. In the chain 38 are located oneor more fusible links; 39 which, upon a given rise in temperature, willfuse'and allow the chain 38 The arm 37 of the bell-crank 35 is heavilyweighted, so that upon the slackening of the chain it will descend,

latter downwardly to swing its detent roll 32 out of engagement with thetoothed. wheel 30, both. of said rolls 32 and 34 preferably being formedof brass or similar noncorrosive material to assure a free rollingcontact of the same with their engaging parts. The full tensional forceof the spring 23 is now effective to rotate the shaft 20 and the latteris given a rapid and heavy rotary impulse, which is in the direction ofthe unwinding of the shutter and is utilized to operate an automaticstarter for positively starting the shutter downwardly.

As soon as the shaft begins to rotate, the tension of the spring 23 is"relaxed and is no longer suflicient to counterbalance the shutter, whichis now ready to descend. In accordance with this invention an automaticstarter is provided which utilizes the heavy rotatory impulse of theshaft, when the latter has been released, for effecting a positiveinitial start of the shutter. automatic starter, as here shown,comprises a pair of dogs 40 and 41 (see Fig. 4) pivoted upon a plate 42fixed to the shaft, said dogs being normally held by springs 45 and 46in contact with stops 43 and 44, respectively, located on the plate 42.Upon the release of the shaft by the automatic release mechanism, itwill start to rotate rapidly in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 4) andthe connected pivoted dogs, by a combination of centrifugal force andthe inertia of their outer ends, will be caused to swing outwardly adistance suflicient to cause them to contact with the particular lugs 47and 48 on a collar 49 fixed to one end of the barrel which are inadvance of said dogs. It will thus be apparent that the rapld movementof the shaft 20 and the dogs 40 and 41, when the latter are brought intoengagement with the lugs 47 and48, respectively, will be transmitted tothe barrel to cause a positive starting movement of the shutter on itsdescending movement. While I have shown and described an automaticstarter comprising the use of two dogs 40 and 41, it will be understoodthat one do only or more may be employed if so desire After the dogshave engaged the lugs 47 and 48 and imported the desired startingmovement to the shutter on its downward or closing movement, there is nolonger any necessity for further driving the shutter by unwinding of thespring because the momentum of the shutter is suflicient to carry itrapidly downward. The unwinding of the spring is'therefore stopped bymeans of a stop member, such as 90 (Fig. 5), carried by the toothedwheel 30 and engaging a lug 92 fixed to thebraeket 26.

This

madam The toothed wheel is provided with a plurality of openings 91 inwhich the stop member may be positioned to vary the amount of rotationof the shaft necessary for imparting the initial starting of theshutter, which will depend upon the strength of the spring, the size andweight of the shutter, etc. Further unwinding of the spring now beingprevented, the shutter in descending will rewind the spring, the tensionof the latter increasing as the shutter unrolls to counterbalance theincreased momentum. The shutter, being nearly counterbalanced, can beeasily raised.

To restore the fractional loss of tension in the spring, produced by theinitial unwinding thereof to start the shutter, the shaft may be given apartial rotation to rewind the spring by means of a socket wrenchengaged with the squared collar on the shaft adjacent the wheel '30.This operation is desirable to effect an accurate counterbalance of theshutter by the spring.

A modified form of the invention is illus-' shaft to which is fixed oneend of the shutter at 73 (see Fig. 9). A modified form of automaticstarter is also here employed and comprises a collar'74 fixed to theshaft and carrying pivoted dogs 7 5 similar to the dogs 40 and 41 andsimilarly mounted, so that upon rapid rotation of the shaft 71 under theaction of the springs 70 they are caused to swing radiall outward due tothe combination of centri ugal force and the inertia of their outerends, against a bracket 76 carried by the inner end of the shutter andimpart a positive initial downward movement to the shutter.

My invention as herein set forth is particularly desirable, especiallyfrom an economical standpoint, in that the counterbalancing springforming part of the regular shutter operating mechanism is additionallyutilized as a means for'imparting a positive starting of the shutter onits closing movement.

Var1ations may be resorted to within the scope of the annexed claims.

' What I claim is: I

1. The combination with shutter rolling means and a shutter thereon, ofa shaft,-a

spring connected at one end to said shutter.

lot

Ill

shaft may rotate, and means for imparting to said shutter a positiveinitial movement, said last-named means comprising a lug movable withsaid shutter, and a pivoted dog carried by said shaft and being normallyineffective but rendered effective by the rotation of said shaft toengage said lug, the engagement of said dog with said lug causing saidshutter to be positively set in motion.

2. The combination with shutter rollin means and a shutter thereon, of ashaft, a spring connected at one end to said shutter and at the otherend to said shaft and normally under tension for counterbalancing theshutter, means for normally preventing rotation of said shaft, means forrelieving the tension of said spring by rendering said last-named meansineffective so that said shaft may rotate, and means for imparting tosaid shutter a positive initial movement, said last-named meanscomprising lugs movable with said shutter, and pivoted dogs carried bysaid shaft and being normally ineffective but rendered effective by therotation of said shaft to engage said lugs, the engagement of said dogswith said lugs causing said shutter to be positively set in motion.

3. The combination with shutter rolling means and a shutter thereon, ofa shaft, a

spring connected at one end to said shutter and at the other end to saidshaft and normally under tension for counterbalancing said shutter,means for normally preventing rotation of said shaft, means forrelieving the tension of said spring by rendering said last-named meansinefiective so that said shaft may rotate, and means for ima parting tosaid shutter a positive initial movement, said last-named meanscomprising a collar fixed to said shutter rolling means, lugs fixed insaid collar adjacent the periphery thereof. and dogs carried by saidshaft and normally out of the path of said lugs, said dogs being swungoutwardly into the path of the lugs when the shaft is rotated to engagesaid lugs and set the shutter in motion. 1

4. The combination with shutter rolling means and a shutter thereon, ofa shaft, a spring connected at one end to said shutter .nd at the otherend to said shaft and normally under tension for counterbalancing theshutter, means for normally preventing rotation of said shaft, means forrelieving the tension of said sprin by rendering said last-named meansine eetive so that said spring may rotate said shaft, means forimparting to said shutter an initial movement, and means for limitingthe amount of rotation of said shaft to limit the unwinding of thespring, said lastnamed means comprising an adjustable stop rotatablewith said shaft and a lug fixed in position in'the path of said stop.

5. The combination with shutter rolling means and'a shutter thereon, ofa shaft, a spring connected at one end to said shutter and at the otherend to said shaft and normally under tension for counterbalancing saidshutter, means for normally preventing rotation of said shaft, means forrelieving the tension of said spring by rendering said last-named meansineffective so that said shaft may rotate, and means for simultaneouslyimparting to said shutter a positive inltial movement, said last-namedmeans comprising a lug connected to said shutter, and a plurality ofpivoted dogs carried by said shaft, said dogs being normally ineffectivebut rendered effective by the rotation of said shaft to engage said lug,the

engagement of any one of said dogs with said lug causing said shutter tobe positively set in motion.

6. The combination with shutter rolling means and a shutter thereon, ofa shaft, counterbalancing means for said shutter connecting said shutterand shaft, thermallycontrolled automatic release means for normallypreventing rotation of said shaft but which upon a predetermined rise intemperature releases said shaft to render said counterbalancing meansineffective, said automatic release comprising a toothed wheel fixed tosaid sha carrying a roll of non-corrosive material cooperating with saidwheel to prevent movement thereof and having an operating arm,-abell-crank having a roll of non-corrosive material mounted on one armthereof, thermally-controlled means normally holding said bell-crank sothat the said roll on one arm thereof is in engagement with said detentto render the latter effective, and means whereby the weight of theother arm of said bell-crank serves to rotate the bellcrank upon apredetermined rise in temperature and bring'the roll on its said firstarm into engagement with the said arm of the pivoted detent topositively rotate the latter to ineffective posltion.

Intestimony whereof I afiix my signature.

MILTON L. CORNELL.

a pivoted detent

